Claire is a director of Inspired Equine Assisted Learning. As well as being a freelance BHSAI (Reg’d) Riding Instructor she also holds qualifications in Coaching, Hypnotherapy, Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and is a Reiki Master and Teacher.

Claire has owned, competed, and worked with horses for over 25 years. She has a BSc in Equine Science and was a winner of the A.B.R.S. Jeffress Scholarship, which enabled her to train with some of the UK’s top classical riders/trainers. She has a sympathetic way of working with horses and people to create relationships based on trust and harmony.

Claire has previously worked for Linkage College, which caters for young adults with learning difficulties, as Stable Management Coordinator; she also holds a Riding For The Disabled teaching qualification.

Mike is CEO and principal facilitator at Inspired Equine Assisted Learning. He grew up on a farm in Gloucestershire and has been working with horses for over 25 years.

As CEO, Mike oversees the overall direction of IdEAL and is responsible for fundraising, finance, HR and developing and implementing strategies and policies to ensure that IdEAL benefits the local community. Mike explains the key aspects of his role during IdEAL’s 5-day CPD accredited workshop on how to run a Therapeutic Horsemanship Centre.

Mike is an experienced IT professional and from the 1980’s has worked at numerous companies from small start-ups to large household names, including EE, Bupa, Unilever, Heathrow Airport and Royal Mail. During this time, he has witnessed many different styles of leadership and management, and he explores these in innovative ways on IdEAL’s corporate training days.

Mike also holds qualifications in Coaching, Hypnotherapy and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP). Combining these techniques with EAL is really powerful! Our EAL + NLP Company Away Days are a rewarding, fun and original experience.

Mike is also the Insight & Data Manager at Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service.

Lynzie has been with Inspired Equine Assisted Learning from its inception. She is responsible for the stable management of the horses in the herd and has also been involved in the setting up of Inspired Equine Assisted Learning and is one of our senior facilitators during Equine Assisted Learning sessions. She is also an IdEAL Member and supports the Directors in the running of the organisation.

Lynzie has attended Child Protection Courses, First Aid and Intelligent Horsemanship Courses in Horse Psychology. She is the proud owner of one of our Therapy horses “Charlie” and she helps with the training of all the therapy horses and ponies.

Other passions include photography, and Lynzie is the chief photographer at Inspired Equine Assisted Learning.

Liv initially joined the IdEAL team as a volunteer and became an employee in March 2021.

Liv studied animal management at Boston College, where she also helped to run therapeutic animal sessions for SEN students. She is now an experienced senior EAL session facilitator who also helps with the stable management and training of all the therapy animals. She is the owner of Ben, our therapy donkey. Liv is also an IdEAL Member and supports the Directors in the running of the organisation.

Dawn first became aware of IdEAL when she was referred by the local social prescribing team to IdEAL’s therapeutic horsemanship project designed to help tackle social isolation. While attending we discussed the possibility of Dawn joining our LEP employment project which included EAL sessions to help with confidence, self-esteem, self-discipline, behaviour and social interactions, and offered equine work-experience and training. Dawn felt the urge “to give it a go!”, even though this was a huge commitment for her.

After the final Covid lockdown, IdEAL asked Dawn if she would like to volunteer and help with their EAL sessions on Saturday afternoons as they felt that her enthusiastic personality, extensive child development and special needs knowledge and skills, and experience of raising a child on the autistic spectrum would be a great help during a period where there was an increased demand for sessions due to the impact of Covid. Dawn was DBS checked and volunteering raised her confidence further.

IdEAL asked Dawn if she would like to become a part-time employee when the LEP employment project ended and Dawn started working for IdEAL at the end of October 2021, helping with the facilitation of sessions and the stable management.

Terry is a Director of IdEAL, a singer/songwriter, writer and graphic designer who is involved in many local community organisations and activities.

He has appeared on Art Ninja, a British children’s television art-sitcom hybrid produced for CBBC. He was also Artist in Residence at Orchards C of E Academy.

Garry is a Director of IdEAL and an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate, Holder of the Monty Roberts Preliminary Certificate of Horsemanship.

As part of his work at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses, he has appeared on Channel 4’s Pet Rescue. He has also worked with both Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks at Intelligent Horsemanship demonstrations in the UK.

These people seem to know what they’re talking about!

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud

“Cats rule the world.” – Jim Davis

“Like all pure creatures, cats are practical.” – William S. Burroughs

“Cats choose us; we don’t own them.” – Kristin Cast

In memory of those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge